1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a gate for use in cattle handling systems, where animals pass between different areas.
2. Description of Background Art
A typical such use is in an automatic milking system, where there are, e.g., a feed area, a milking area and a rest area, separated by fences or the like, and passage from one area to another takes place through a gate. Another use could be between enclosed pastures.
Several kinds of such gates are known, e.g., gates of a simple one-directonal kind, always allowing passage in one direction, while always prohibiting passage in the opposite direction (EP 0 853 875 A2, drawing, item 13), power operated gates opening only after accepted identification of an animal (EP 0 853 875 A2, drawing, item 15), and two-way gates (EP 0 853 875 A2, drawing, item 10).
FR-A-2 577 608 discloses a gate preventing animals not carrying a magnet from passage through the gate in both opening directions thereof, while always allowing passage of animals carrying a magnet in both opening directions. This kind of gate does not meet the typical requirement for passage of an animal through a normally closed gate between, e.g., a rest area and a feed area, viz., that the animal may pass only if it has just been milked, whereas it may always pass from the feed area to the rest area.
Based on the general teachings of FR-A-2 577 608, it is the aim of the present invention to provide a new gate which is suitable for use in installations of the kind referred and which fulfills the requirement just mentioned.